Pretty much the first thing that zapped into my imagination was the 2003 Tom Cruise movie “The Last Samurai”.
I quickly discovered that there was a wealth of information available on 1860s/1870s Japanese conflicts and worse still… there are figures available!!!
Wargames Atlantic have a digital set of Boshin War figures, Perrys’ ACW plastics are compatible, any number of companies make feudal Japanese figures and a company in Spain called Bac Ninh have a dedicated metal range for the Boshin War. Oh dear…
I already have over 40 projects on the go. What to do? I decided to do something ridiculous!
I’ve always applauded John for getting a collection from the postie to the tabletop game in a matter of weeks. This once I would try to emulate John and from that seed on 21st October I’d aim to have the collection painted in time for Vapnartak on 2nd February. Gulp!
Inspired by the movie I’d build a Satsuma Rebellion collection. The movie is very loosely based upon this. The Imperial government troops early on in The Last Samurai closely resemble the Wargames Atlantic Boshin War figures. And I could keep the painting simple. Above are the first test painted printed resin figures.
In 1877 Japan, thousands of disaffected samurai led by Saigo Takamori marched on Tokyo to petition the government over the reforms effectively making their status obsolete. After centuries of isolation, Japan was in the early stages of modernising its military influenced by Western powers, primarily France and Prussia. The samurai class was feudal and didn’t fit in with the new ideas.
Naively this was not intended to be a military campaign, but things quickly escalated into open conflict.
Having failed to take Kumamoto Castle in order to secure their lines of communication, the Satsuma rebel army took up positions 15km north of the castle to prevent Imperial forces relieving the castle.
The Satsuma positions stretched for 10km in the forested hills. Over 17 days, from 4th to 20th March 1877, the Battle of Tabaruzaka raged. 11,000 Imperial troops and 9,000 Satsuma samurai attacked and counterattacked resulting in around 7,500 casualties. After this the rebels were pursued around the island of Kyushu. The rebellion was finally crushed at the Battle of Shiroyama where the remaining 400-odd samurai were surrounded by 25,600 Imperial troops! There’s only one way that was going to go… Apparently the Emperor wept when he was presented with Takamori’s head.
A 19th century French newspaper illustration of Takamori and his staff. Fanciful but fascinating.
I found an article in an old Wargames Illustrated magazine (302 December 2012) on the Satsuma Rebellion. Included in the article was a scenario for the Battle of Tabaruzaka. I would use this as the basis for the collection. It had an Imperial division attacking emplaced Satsuma samurai. The above near contemporary image represents this battle.
The Imperial division would consist of 4 regiments of infantry, each of which had 3 battalions, 1 battalion of engineers, 1 regiment of artillery and 1 battalion of cavalry. In addition I added a battalion of police shock troops armed with swords and pistols: the “Battoh-Tai”.
The article didn’t show the order of battle for the Satsuma samurai. So I’d base my collection on what I knew - the rebels marched from Kagoshima with 6 battalions twice as large as an Imperial battalion and they had some artillery. I would build 6 battalions of infantry, have 1 gun to represent the small amount of artillery they had, I’d add some armed coolies for the hell of it, sword parties to lead counter attacks and some movie-inspired armoured samurai cavalry.
The painting schedule was going to be tough, but John does this all the time! I could do it!
The gun park! I went for resin printed guns as they were cheaper! The Imperial army probably had Armstrong canon, but I could only get those in metal. Resin Krupp guns looked the part. And yes a Gatling gun! They were around in small numbers during the Boshin War in the 1860s and feature heavily in the movie, so why not. Apart from the Perrys barrel on the Satsuma gun, these are all lovely Actual Size Miniatures resin prints.
With a spreadsheet set up to monitor my progress, by 29th November I’d crept over 20% complete!
The Imperial artillery was done using Perrys ACW bodies and resin heads. I looked to the Bac Ninh range for figures which would be less Hollywood to represent some of the Satsuma samurai infantry.
By 14th December all the Imperial forces were painted and the project was at about 55% complete!
More Bac Ninh figures have been painted to represent Satsuma infantry. The Satsuma gun has been painted. The Imperial cavalry battalion are Perrys ACW plastics with Perrys Napoleonic lance arms. Since there’s only a tiny cavalry presence in the collection, I liked the idea of giving them lances. Make them look prettier!
I also started painting some terrain for the game. The Wargames Illustrated scenario has a farm. This ruined “hut” would serve nicely as the farm. It’s a 3D printed eBay purchase.
20th December; project at 62.5% complete! Above photo shows Bac Ninh miniatures representing a Satsuma battalion. Really nice these. Sculpted by Paul Hicks.
Over Christmas I got Takamori’s command group finished. When speed was needed, this was a ridiculous idea! Five manufacturers’ wares if you include the 3d printed Jinmaku. The base has 25 decals on it, mostly homemade as mate Glen has the proper paper (you print out then apply a couple of coats of matt varnish spray). It took longer to paint than a Satsuma battalion.
By 28th December the project is over 70% complete! It’s a punishing schedule, but most of the miniatures are fun to paint. The above figures will be other Satsuma command bases. They’re mostly Bac Ninh miniatures.
1st January! Project at 75% complete yay! The above battalion is actually Satsuma infantry, but from the Boshin War. The battle hats worn by the Japanese are unusual. I’m clearly a fan of the unusual! 1798 Irish Rebellion, Kikuyu Revolt, 1920s Chinese, Victorians hunting terror birds… it’s like I shun mainstream wargaming!
By 4th January I’ve painted the armed coolies (all Perrys) and the sword parties. I’ve painted the Bac Ninh Shinsengumi, nasty Shogunate police from the Boshin War period as they’re supposed to look in their distinctive blue kimonos. Hmmm? The project is over 80% complete.
Maybe it was painting the Shinsengumi figures as just that or the purchase of a fabulous book covering the Boshin War, but I decided that although the demo game at Vapnartak would be covering the Satsuma Rebellion, the collection would be repurposed after the show for the Boshin War of 1868-1869. The collection would have greater replayability, I could include feudal figures including teppo arquabus armed and pole armed. I could include feudal cavalry. The resin figures are ideal for modernised infantry, as they are sold as Boshin War figures. I’d just need to finish the feudal figures I won’t need at Vapnartak and add a few elite Shogunate troops. Oh goodie! Another Bac Ninh order required. The Osprey image that sparked all this off shows Shogunate troops from the 1860s. I’ve just received Empress Miniatures figures which I’ll paint up as the small French-trained cavalry unit depicting. Perrys Brazilian artillery will get a headswap to be Shogunate artillerymen firing diddy La Hitte canons favoured due to their mobility. Bac Ninh have two packs of the best of the Shogunate infantry in the battle hat resembling a British helmet of the 20th century world wars.
An illustration showing traditionally armed Aizu troops of the Shogunate army attacking modernised Satsuma infantry of the Imperial army. The Boshin War will need to wait though! There’s still a demo game to get ready!
The majority of the remaining figures to paint are Fireforge and Wargames Factory (now Warlord Games) plastics. I like the Fireforge figures but would much prefer them with puddle bases. I’ve hopefully locked the feet down to the base enough. These are Fireforge ashigaru. With an eye to the future of the collection, note that the righthand figure has the Shogunate Tokugawa clan mon on his breastplate. Throughout I’ve tried to keep the painting simple. So for example black cross belts on the Wargames Atlantic resin figures rather than white, most samurai armour black and all ashigaru armour brown.
As of 26th January I’ve got the project just under 98% completed! And I’ve started playing around with how the terrain will look.
Thursday 30th January - the project is 100% completed! Ive only bluddy gone and done it! The show is on Sunday. Never ever going to paint at this rate again. I admire John for being able to do it. I’ll leave him to it!
Above photos show table mocked up with 2/3 of the boards that I’ll use at the show. Really pleased with how it looks.
Show time!
Table set up at York Racecourse. The Imperial division deployed with a brigade either side of the guns and the Satsumas snug behind their defences.
The firefight intensifies as the Imperial infantry closes. The Satsumas are getting the better of it as the Imperial frontal assault is over open ground. Some battalions are disordered.
However the Satsumas were short of ammunition! Each samurai still carried his daisho, the pair of swords symbolising their status. And they preferred to use their katana in melee rather than the bayonet. So the sword parties lead the battalions against the faltering Imperial lines. The leading regiments take a beating, but the second regiment in each brigade is fresh.
The Satsumas will have to weather another storm of lead to close with the second line.
Meanwhile I roll out a couple more staged events. A movie-inspired samurai cavalry attack against the Imperial cavalry and the Gatling gun. And a flank attack by the police Battoh-Tai and the engineer battalion standing in for marines. This represents the naval landing to outflank the Satsumas in the real battle.
The table is full of busy. The game attracted a lot of interest over the course of the day. I like to put on something different and I think that people enjoy seeing something different. We chatted to many folk and were in good company up on the second mezzanine with the likes of Sally 4th Chris and the Yarkshire Gamer. I saw a lot of friends at the show which is always a highlight for me. I didn’t spend nearly enough though! Something wrong there.
The feudal cavalry are clearly no match for the modern Imperial cavalry; 2 units of Satsuma cavalry are broken while the Imperial cavalry retires in good order. The third unit of Satsuma cavalry pound towards the Gatling gun…
Pretty much goes the same way as it does in the movie!
With the shadows lengthening, it’s been another great show. And the culmination of a three month project. I’ve discovered, so I feel, another of military history’s hidden gems and I’ve painted like I’ve never painted before!
I’m looking forward to gaming the Boshin War now!
Thanks to anyone reading who stopped for a chat at the show. That’s what it’s all about.
Cheers for now!
Chris
WWG in exile
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